Riptide Legacy
by WonderfulMadness
Summary: In the East Blue, weakest of the 4 Blues, a fledgling pirate crew find themselves en route to adventure, in pursuit of their unstoppable dreams. No, not the ones you're thinking of. Follow the journey of the Kaiser Pirates as they leave their mark on the world! To gain fame and glory. To become legends.
1. Prelude to Adventure!

**So, this is a collaborative effort, the first time I've tried something like this. The basic idea for the fic came from an RPG campaign a few friends and I have run on and off for a while. The idea to turn it into a fanfiction came from both myself and OnlineWarrior094 discussing the lack of original crews in long running fics.**

 **So, we've converted the basic storyline of the game, tweaked some parts to fit better in prose, and here we have it. A shout out to The Puppeteer's Ghost for his help in expanding some scenes, and generally elevating the level of writing.**

 **Also, One Piece is the property of Eiichiro Oda. I own nothing, save for some of the original characters and some story input.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

…...

 _The East Blue, known to many as the weakest of the Four Blue Seas. To the rest of the world, it is known as a backwards, out-of-touch place; its inhabitants derided as "hicks". But on this day, a strange sight graces its waters. A monster is waiting._

A fearsome galleon cut a path through the blue sea. The ship's figurehead was a ferocious snarling wolf, and at the top of its mast, a jolly roger fluttered in the wind. The flag showed a crown covering the left side of the skull, with a sword and rifle instead of the usual crossbones.

One of the many pirates on board approached the man standing at the head of the ship. "Captain Ryo! We just got a call from Kaiman. He's wants us to get into position, he's nearly ready to go."

The pirate captain being addressed swung round dramatically to face his subordinate, his long brown coat swirling around him as he did so. Under the coat, two ammo belts were strapped around his bare chest, and an ornate sword was sheathed in his belt. He had wild purple hair spiking out in every direction, and his face wore a manic expression; his face-splitting grin matching his wide, wild eyes. A ragged-looking scar ran across his cheek, from the side of his nose almost to his ear.

Ryo chuckled and called out, addressing his entire crew. "You all know what to do, like we practised! I won't be long now before things get really interesting!"

OoOoO

The evening sun hung above Dusk Island, tucked away in a lonely corner of the East Blue. Rough-looking crowds of people were milling about, some with glares and sneers on scarred faces, toying with weapons only nominally concealed. Others just looked terrified. They stared at the ground as they walked, twitching at every sudden movement. There was probably no connection.

Through the hustle and bustle of the streets strolled a singular-looking figure. He stood out in his finely-tailored suit, impeccably clean despite the filth of the town. He walked with his head held high, each footstep made with confidence that didn't need a weapon or a sneer. A few strands of blond hair stubbornly jutted out from the purple bandana covering his head - every bit as defiant of their surroundings as the man himself.

His name, if anyone had asked, was Nietzsche. And he was tremendously bored.

"What a wretched place," he muttered. He sighed dramatically to himself, glancing at an ornate pocket watch before tucking it back into the pocket of his waistcoat. "I'll bet you can't even get a decent Merlot, never mind anything else." His ears pricked up as he heard a distant commotion closer to the centre of the town. He shrugged in his own patented scrupulous manner - a gesture he had honed over the years to convey just the right amount of aloofness.

"Seems as good a start as any," he said and whispered, " _Soru_ ," vanishing from sight in a flicker. Had anyone thought to check where he'd stood, the might have noticed the small cracks spread across the stones underfoot. But the people of Dusk Island had all learned not to look too closely at anything.

OoOoO

The blond traveller glanced around at the crowd, all of them in an uproar over the ongoing speech. A teenage girl wearing a newsboy cap that was a little too big for her and a coat that was comically too big for her. She stood atop a crate in front of a rundown tavern, reading from the papers she clutched in her hands. Even the papers looked massive compared to her tiny body. Still, despite her stature she had an impassioned air about her.

"… So you can see, as free sailors and pirates, all of us have a choice to make," she proclaimed. "We can either live out our lives on the run from the marines, or we can band together, to protect our freedom!" The passion in her voice was making little impact on the general populace aside from a few curious looks and bouts of mocking laughter. Even as Nietzsche watched, members of the audience were turning away, rolling their eyes.

The girl barely seemed to notice as she valiantly continued her pitch. "I know many of you will not give up your independence so casually, and I swear that you will not lose your freedom. This is a not a call for subordinates, but for allies, to join the Hunter Pirates in toppling the corruption of the world itself!"

The crowd dispersed, most looking disinterested, but something made Nietzsche pause. He cocked his head to the side, a vague recollection niggling at him. Eyes widening slightly in realisation, he strolled forwards, approaching the girl as she hopped down from the crate and folded up her speech.

"Excuse me, miss?" he asked, straightening his collar as he addressed her.

"Yeah?" she perked up, practically beaming up at him. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Perhaps," he mused, taking in her full appearance. She looked young, or at least younger than his own seventeen years. She looked even smaller on the ground with him but she stood proud and brave. A few spikes of golden hair poked out from under her hat, reminding him vaguely of his own. That was a point in her favour at least. "I heard you say you're a part of the Hunter Pirates?"

"That's right," she chirped, looking far too innocent to be a pirate. "Do you want to help us?"

"I'm more concerned with learning why a Grand Line crew is recruiting allies in the weakest of the Four Blues," he answered honestly, taking in her brief expression of shock. "And that's assuming, of course, that you're not just lying about being part of a famous crew."

She smirked and folded her arms. "Oh, believe me, I'm one of the crew," she said. "And if you want answers from the captain, you'll need to head inside and wait until he comes back to get us. He'll tell you what you need to know."

"You honestly expect me to believe this isn't some sort of a trap?" Nietzsche deadpanned, frowning as she shrugged.

"Oh, it's definitely a trap. It's just not a trap for you."

Nietzsche blinked. Well, that was refreshing. He pursed his lips as he debated his options. He could either find out what was going on, and almost definitely get caught in whatever trap these people had planned; or he could ignore it, _not_ get caught, and _not_ get any straight answers about what was happening.

Shit.

With an aggrieved sigh, Nietzsche strode past the girl, who looked far too smug about 'convincing' him, and into the run-down excuse for a tavern. Looking around at the slovenly brutes that made up the majority of the patrons, he shook his head in disgust, taking the cleanest seat he could find. He wound up sitting beside a young man in a maroon waistcoat and shorts, with lime green hair slicked back, the spikes pointed backwards.

The green-haired man downed the liquid in his glass, glancing sideways at Nietzsche as the blond tried to attract the attention of the bored-looking barkeep.

"You a new recruit for the alliance?" he asked, only half-interested in the answer.

"Merely an observer, and you?" Nietzsche muttered, far less than half interested. His companion suddenly twitched, turning towards the door.

"Honestly, I'm more a babysitter than anything else," the man groaned, "'specially these days." He signalled the bartender with two fingers and slid one of the two drinks over to Nietzsche. The contents were… _mostly_ liquid. "Here, it's on me. You'll need it when it all hits the fan."

"All… what?" the suit-clad teen asked, nose wrinkling as he peered into the glass, the scent of the alcohol assaulting his sense of smell. Just as he made to pour it out beside him, a sudden crash echoed through the bar as the door slammed against its frame.

Another horrific bang sounded, as the door was abruptly knocked inwards, flying through the air and slamming an unfortunate drinker to the floor. A few of his friends rushed to his aid, pulling the unconscious man into a corner. A voice bellowed from outside - equal parts booming and chortling, like a hurricane learned to laugh.

"Huh. Sorry 'bout that! Guess it was a Pull door, not a Push one, eh?" The speaker stooped to enter the bar, revealing himself to be a huge brute of a man, easily seven feet or more, wearing a ragged grey-white coat as a cloak, with a black vest underneath. His black hair was cut short, a massive grin on his face. He removed an oddly-shaped case, like a widened cello case, from his back, placing it beside him as he slumped into a seat far too small for him. The wood strained under his weight but didn't shatter. The other patrons in the bar just stared at him either with shock or rage. Nietzsche wasn't sure which.

"I heard this is where to go to find some ready-made sailors," the newcomer announced, taking up a pitcher of rum from the table and downing it in a matter of seconds. "And I'm in the market for a crew!"

"Bastard!" one of the patrons exploded, jumping to his feet. Rage it was then. "You think you can just burst in like that, knock out Joey, and get away with it? I don't know who you think you are, but-"

"Bwahaha! You're absolutely right, I haven't introduced myself!" the boisterous man laughed heartily, flipping his table over as he posed dramatically. "My name is Rask Jace! I've turned away from my former life as a marine to head out to sea myself! If any of you are man enough to stand beside me, then step forwards and follow me! Because…"

Nietzsche blinked as he felt the atmosphere shift in the bar. This man, who had seemed to be just another idiot, was suddenly quiet, the split-second pause seeming to stretch into an age. His grin had shrunk slightly, looking more wistful as he took a breath.

"Because I will become the Pirate King!" he bellowed, stunning everyone in range as he grabbed another drink, laughing loudly. "So, who's with me?"

The crowd all blinked in simultaneous shock. "WHAAAAT?"

"You're a complete moron!" shouted one of the few standing pirates, drawing her cutlass and waving it wildly as she spoke. "Pirate King? It's impossible, that's a stupid kid's dream! If you're gonna stand there and talk down to us, we're going to have to show you what we're made of!" She roared madly, charging forwards.

Jace beamed, seeing the crowd rushing to attack him. "Alright, bring it on!" he laughed. "I haven't had a good fight in hours!" The giant grabbed his case by the handle on its side and swung it in a wide arc in front of him like a club. Even from his position at the bar, Nietzsche could feel the gust of wind it caused, ruffling his clothes and setting the glasses behind the bar rattling in place.

The unlucky ones were those actually hit by it, all three pirates being knocked into the air. The rest of the patrons gazed in shock, before bursting to their feet as a single mob, pulling out swords, pistols, knives, and various other instruments of extreme violence, including one man with a disturbing collection of sock puppets. Jace spun on the spot with surprising agility, slamming his fist into the table beside him. The sudden force was more than enough to flip the table, just in time for the would-be pirate to give it a push, sending it spiralling into a handful of unfortunate drinkers.

"Huh," Nietzsche's 'drinking partner' murmured. "He's not bad. Keep an eye on things for a sec, will you?"

"Wait, what?" Nietzsche started, before seeing the empty space beside him. The stranger's departure made him shake his head. "Coward… Whoa!" He yelped involuntarily, as a man flew at him, ducking as the unconscious body crashed into the bar.

"Bwahaha! Sorry 'bout that, kid!" Jace cackled, actually grabbing a sword with his bare hand and diverting the slash into the ground.

Nietzsche dusted himself off, grimacing at the drops of alcohol spilt on his vest. He paused, raising a brow as some of the crowd turned to him. "Is there a problem?"

"You're with him, you bastard!" one of them roared, dashing forwards and throwing a completely telegraphed punch, which the blond sidestepped with ease.

"I'm not-" A sword strike made him duck. "I wouldn't press this-" He jumped back from flying table. "In all seriousness, do _not_ -" He flipped behind the bar as someone decided to fire a _goddamn rifle_ at him. Pain lanced through him.

Nietzsche clenched his jaw. He examined his upper arm as best he could, seeing a red line running across the top of his bicep, blood dripping down his sleeve. "Alright then…" he hissed, blurring into motion and reappearing in the middle of a circle of shocked pirates. "If you insist."

"Holy crap, shoot him!" the apparent leader yelped, all of them pointing their weapons at the smirking Nietzsche. The blond relaxed his stance, exhaling in a whisper. _"_ _Kami-e_ _."_

Nietzsche began swaying on the spot, like a piece of paper in a breeze. As they unleashed a salvo of bullets towards him, he seemed to abruptly flutter to one side, the bullets crossing the circle and finding some… unintended targets.

"Oh God, my leg!" "My arm!" "My sock puppets!" Such was the gist of the conversation around him as Nietzsche dashed forwards, throwing a high kick into the chin of one of his opponents and making a break for the door.

"Fufufu, you didn't stand a chan-"

 _Tmp!_ Nietzsche found himself interrupted, _yet again_ , as he was swerved to avoid Jace's oversized case. "Hey! Watch what you're doing, that could have hit me!"

"Heh. Sorry!" Jace half-shrugged, swinging the bludgeon over his head to knock a swordsman through the wooden floor. "You should keep a better eye on your surroundings, though."

"Like you're one to talk!" the suit-clad teen snapped, releasing a barrage of kicks at a rifleman, knocking the gun out of his hand. "You're flailing around with that thing like a madman!"

"Hey, if it works…" Jace beamed, grabbing one particularly brave fighter by his outstretched arm and almost casually tossing him through the front window of the bar. Both Jace and Nietzsche paused as they stared after the unconscious mook, seeing a veritable wall of guns pointed at them through the shattered glass.

A tall man with a white captain's coat hung over his shoulder stepped forwards. "By order of Rear Admiral Pontus, all of you are under arrest for aiding and abetting the Hunter Pirates!"

"Goddamn marines" Jace groaned, bringing his weapon around for a big attack. As he attempted to swing it forwards, the clasps holding the case shut finally gave up, bursting open to launch an oversized sword haphazardly through the air. The fighter could only stare dumbly as the weapon was promptly seized by a trio of marines, supporting the massive steel blade between the three of them. "Whoops…"

"Rask Jace… " the marine captain mused as he strode forwards. "Of all the pieces of shit I thought I'd find here, I never thought you'd be one of them." Jace bristled but said nothing. His knuckles were white. His face unreadable - a kind of trained emptiness that all military men learned to use. The captain shook his head in disappointment. "You could've been a hero, Rask. An outstanding officer. I'd have been honoured to have you serve under my command."

Rask said nothing, his shaking body giving away the rage that was absent in his face. The captain fell silent for a few seconds as offering Jace a chance to redeem himself in some way. "A pity," he sighed and motioned to his men. "Take them all away, and if they resist, execute them."

"Sir, yes sir!" the troops chorused, Nietzsche tensing as they approached. He shot a furious glare at Jace but he just kept staring forward.

 _Even if I use Kami-e, there are far too many there; one of them is bound to hit me, t_ he blond thought. _I really should have learned Tekkai._ He shifted closer to the subdued-looking Jace. A meatshield couldn't hurt too much, could it?

"Psst," came a quiet voice, a weight settling on Nietzsche's shoulder. "Just stay calm, follow my lead, and we'll get out of this." A small green shape sprang forwards, blurring into a humanoid form, covered in lime scales. A maroon vest and shorts, with a tail poking out from the waistband. "So, you caught us. Alright then," the Zoan grinned, raising his hands. "We surrender."-

"We WHAT?!" Jace thundered, looking downright murderous as he broke out of his expressionlessness. It even made Nietzsche shudder for a moment.

"Yeah, sure," the reptile-man shrugged, unconcerned. "You've got us completely outgunned, and I'm not stupid enough to get myself killed here."

"'Wild Dragon' Kaiman," the captain sneered. "Your captain let you out of his sight?"

"We have an understanding."

Nietzsche flinched as the marines closed in, grabbing Kaiman and attempting to dogpile Jace. He shuffled backwards, before hearing a gun cocked just behind him.

"Get on your knees!" the marine demanded. Nietzsche bristled at the order.

"Do you have any idea who I-" _Thmp!_ A blinding pain erupted in the back of his skull as the floor rose to meet him.

 _This… could've… gone better…_ he thought woozily, feeling a trickle of blood flow from the back of his head, letting the world fall away into the darkness.

OoOoO

"… Gah, my head…" Nietzsche groaned, the ground seeming to sway beneath him as he woke up. He blinked away the worst of the pain and tried to orient himself. The pain and dizziness began to recede but the world kept swaying. He frowned "Are we… on a _boat_?"

"Yep," came the grunted reply. Nietzsche turned to see Jace, sitting cross-legged a few feet away. "If we're lucky, they're gonna give us a fake trial before they ship us off to Impel Down."

"Impel Down?" Nietzsche repeated, incredulous. "The marines would send us all to the worst prison on the planet for what? Being randomly grabbed in a raid?"

"Yeah, well, they have to do _something_ , what with all the blows their reputation has gotten over the last few months. You heard about how a rookie crew basically toppled Enies Lobby a couple weeks back? The Strawhat Pirates, the same ones from that whole mess in Alabasta…" Jace trailed off with a grin. "About time someone took them on."

"You two feeling better, then?" came a call from the cell next to them. Kaiman's voice sounded weak despite the confident tone. "'Cause you'll need to be in top condition in about… ten minutes, maybe a little less?"

Jace stood up as much as he could, head bowed slightly to avoid bumping against the ceiling. He ran his hands along the wooden planks, before abruptly punching straight through one of them, leaving a hole the size of Nietzsche's head. "Shoddy work," He grinned, before seeing Kaiman, submerged up to his shoulders in a tub of water. "… Right! Seawater, Devil Fruit, all that stuff, got it."

"How long have we been in here?" Nietzsche asked, fumbling in his pocket out of habit.

"Well, sunrise was about an hour or two ago, so… maybe half a day," Jace replied easily, bristling as an armed marine walked past, somehow not noticing the hole connecting the cells. He blinked as Nietzsche paled, frozen in place. "What's up?"

"Hey!" the blond snapped, rushing to the bars of the cell and screeching at the guard. "Where is it?"

"What?" she drawled, voice bored.

"Don't play the fool with me," Nietzsche hissed. "Where. Is. My. Watch?"

"If it was picked up, it's in the evidence lockers downstairs. Not that it matters, you probably won't be around long enough to worry about it." She scoffed, her collar turned upwards to hide her mouth.

"You damned bastards, do you know who you're dealing with? When I get out of here, I am going to tear this ship apart, and all of you along with it!" Nietzsche exploded, ignoring the calls from the cells around them as he gripped the bars. His knuckles were turning white from the force of his grip before he released it to launch a kick of frustration against the steel.

An uneasy silence fell in the cell, the pounding of the waves outside the only thing that broke it. After a few minutes, Jace cleared his throat awkwardly. "So, ah, I dunno if I introduced myself properly. Rask Jace: future Pirate King."

"Nietzsche," came the terse reply, the speaker obviously not in the mood for discussion.

Jace fidgeted for a minute, before cocking his head to the side, a slight frown on his face. "About the watch-" Nietzsche rolled his eyes, inwardly calculating angles and plans for escape.

"A gift," he snapped. "From someone who was very important to me." The bars were too strong to break, but maybe…

"Right!" his cellmate boomed, suddenly regaining that same manic grin from before. "Then there's only one thing to do! We're gonna bust out of here and get it back! I need to find my sword anyway…"

Nietzsche blinked dumbly. It wasn't something he cared to do very often. "I'm sorry, what?"

"We're gonna get your watch back, and get me a weapon! Now, I wonder if I can break these floorboards open…"

"Why? What could you possibly have to gain from helping me?"

Jace shrugged. "Prob'ly nothing."

"So then why-"

Jace turned back to look over his shoulder at the shorter prisoner. "'Cause I feel like it. That's what being a pirate means, moron," he grinned, his tone more joking than mocking. "Doing whatever you want to do in life. A pirate lives free. Remember that."

Nietzsche shook his head. He wasn't going to argue. "If you insist, I suppose… and just how do you plan on getting there?"

"I've got a plan. Ready?" Jace whispered – still far louder than it needed to be, but Nietzsche would take a small mercy wherever it could be found. "Right. Here's the plan. We break out of this cell, I'll rush anyone in the way, and you do your ninja stuff to grab our stuff. Then, we steal a lifeboat and sail away before they wake up and report us missing." Nietzsche stared dumbly again. Elsewhere, there was the sound of reptilian laughter - which sounded much the same as regular laughter but somehow scalier.

"That's... That isn't..." Nietzsche struggled to find the exact adjectives to describe how stupid this was. He came up empty. Jace beamed. Somehow he had mistook Nietzsche's carefully calculated look of scorn for some awestruck expression.

"I know, it's great."

"THAT'S NOT A PLAN!" Nietzsche snarled, hand snapping out to chop the pirate on the top of his head, leaving behind a noticeable bump. "Even if we _somehow_ get out of this cell, and _somehow_ manage to recover our belongings, how the hell are we supposed to get a lifeboat from the _deck_ , where the rest of the hundreds of marines are walking around? And what the hell is that noise?" He trailed off, hearing muffled booms from somewhere outside.

"You might want to keep away from the window…" Kaiman piped up cryptically.

"…Huh?" Jace asked, before a sudden crash drew their attention upwards. "Hang on, that sounds like-" _KRSH!_ A cannonball burst through the wood, narrowly missing Nietzsche's head as it slammed into the hinge of the cell door.

"Oh my God!" Nietzsche yelped, as a second steel ball smashed through Kaiman's window, breaking the barrel open and sending saltwater spilling across the floor.

"That'd be my captain, all right…" the green-haired pirate smirked, shaking the seawater out of his hair. "I did warn you to step back from the window, didn't I?"

OoOoO

"Damn! Who the hell would attack a Rear Admiral's warship?" Captain Solita of the marines swore, grabbing her pistols and tucking them both into the holsters, her captain's coat hanging off her shoulders. She whirled around to address the panicking soldiers, with her brown hair whipping behind her at the motion. "All of you, get up on deck! We'll need all hands to fight off the Hunter Pirates!"

"Aye, aye!" the marines chorused, charging away as a single unit. Solida turned away from them, moving towards the stairs leading further down into the ship. She paused suddenly, sighing as another marine looked expectantly at her.

"Lieutenant Rucker, what are you waiting for? Get up on deck!" Solida commanded, waving him away with a stormy glare. The dark-haired young man quirked a brow unconcernedly, fiddling with something in the pocket of his shirt.

"So where're you heading, Captain? 'All hands on deck', wasn't it?" the lieutenant asked pointedly, his hand clasped around an ornate-looking pocket watch. "You're heading somewhere below deck; somewhere you think those pirates'll be heading. I'm guessing either the cargo hold or the evidence room."

Solita rolled her eyes. "You think you're so perceptive, Rucker."

"Hey, that's why you brought a pickpocket like me into the marines, isn't it? I know all the tricks of the trade and then some," Rucker grinned, strapping a pair of spiked maces to his back. "So which is it? Our supplies or our contraband?"

" _I_ am going to guard the evidence locker. _You_ are heading upstairs, as I ordered." Solita commanded with a glare. Rucker's smile faltered slightly as he shook his head.

"Nope. Pontus' orders supersede yours; I've got to stick with you, to keep an eye on my 'sticky fingers'. No matter how much trouble you're walking into."

Solida gritted her teeth. This was already taking far too much time. "Fine. But I will be fighting any real threats alone. You can clear out the cannon fodder."

"There's that winning personality! I'm right behind you, Captain."

OoOoO

Kaiman shifted to his hybrid form and wrung his vest out as best he could. His eyes flicked up towards the ceiling, where faint sounds of fighting could be heard. He frowned as something slammed heavily into it from above, the boards cracking. "Wait… ah, damn…"

"Got the keys!" came a cheery voice. A girl far too tiny and exuberant to be a marine skipped over to them, a smile on her face. "Let's get you out before the captain brings the ship down on top of us."

"Hey, what about us?" another prisoner barked. "We only got caught 'cause of you lot!"

Kaiman rolled his eyes, pushing open the door as the fake marine finished with the lock. "Yeah, yeah… Sora, get them out of there, the captain'll want to have a word with them anyway."

"Aye, aye, first matey!" the girl beamed, removing the stolen uniform to reveal a sleeveless catsuit, with a scarf around her neck. She waved at Nietzche and Jace, her dark blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Hey! You're that guy who knew about Ryo!"

"What happened to 'the trap's not for you'?" Nietzsche groused.

"Oh, didn't you get it? The trap was for the marines, silly." Sora grinned, opening the cells around them and letting the captives run towards the deck.

"Oi, Nietzsche!" Jace nudged his companion, sending the teen stumbling from the motion. "We'd best get downstairs quick and grab our stuff while they're distracted. Told you my plan'd work!"

"That doesn't count!" Nietzsche snapped back, dashing ahead of the taller fighter as they headed towards the stairs. The ship jolted violently to one side. Nietzsche stumbled, rushing onwards while the sounds of distant battle and gunfire grew louder.

"What d'you think?" Jace prompted as they barrelled down the stairs, pointing at a door with a steel padlock. "Probably the evidence room, right?"

"Most likely," Nietzsche admitted, examining the lock and frowning. If I had my tools, I'd probably be able to pick this, but- what are you doing?" he asked warily, as Jace stepped back slightly.

"I'm not going to let anything stand in my way," the pirate boomed. "Especially not a pissy little padlock!" Jace cannoned into the door with the force of a small train. Shockingly, the padlock held. The same could not be said for the door itself, which burst apart from the impact as Jace stumbled into the corridor.

"… I can't really argue with that," Nietzsche sighed, stepping out of his cell as the hull made a worrying cracking noise. "Let's grab what we can and get out quickly." Seawater had begun to seep into the room, rising slowly but ominously.

"Gotcha," Jace nodded, striding over to a corner full of oversized weapons, rummaging through them with a discerning eye. Nietzsche scrounged through a pile of boxes, eventually finding a small black case a little smaller than his head, opening it up and rifling through it. Jace peered over at him, a battle-axe in his hand as he spoke. "What you got there?"

"Navigation tools," Nietzsche hissed in response. "I'll need them to get to civilisation when this mess sinks." He tossed aside a fine golden chain with nothing on the end of it.

"Oh, you're a navigator? Awesome! You should join my crew. I need a good navigator!" The pirate beamed suddenly, casting the axe aside as he finally found his claymore. He quickly kissed the blade, not caring if anyone saw.

"I'm afraid neither of you are going anywhere." The two men turned to the shattered door frame. Two marines looked back at them. A woman with a captain's coat on her shoulders had spoken. "You criminals are under arrest." Her companion, a black-haired man with a spiked mace in each hand, grinned cockily at them as he nodded agreeably.

"I heard you were lookin' for a watch," he added, patting his breast pocket. "And we can't go around giving pirates what they want." He grinned lazily, a glint of gold visible at the top of the shirt pocket.

"Rucker, please, don't taunt the scum like that," Captain Solita sighed, drawing a pair of flintlock pistols from her hips and levelling them at Jace. "They're not worth it." Her expression was as icy as her voice.

"Sorry, Captain Solita…" the man drawled, advancing towards Nietzsche with his grin seemingly fixed in place. He looked like the kind of man created for the sole reason of being someone to punch.

"You're one to talk about scum, anyway," Jace grunted, levelling his sword at Solita. "After all that the marines have done."

"Commander Rask Jace… traitors to Justice like you are the worst kind of people."

"I've seen what 'Justice' really looks like, and I'm not a Commander anymore." Jace gave a cocky smirk, far removed from his usual cheery smile. "I'm a Captain now. Let's see which is stronger; your Justice, or my unbreakable Will!" He rushed forwards with a powerful slash.

"And to think, they were calling him a hero at one point…" Rucker tutted, swiping out with his mace at Nietzsche's bowed head. He blinked when he struck empty air, the blond flowing around the strike and throwing a punch into the marine's face. It was every bit as satisfying as Nietzsche hoped it would be. Lieutenant Punchable staggered back, clutching his nose. "Gah! Was that-?"

" _Kami-e_ … I'm only going to ask once more," Nietzche bit tersely, blood staining his knuckles. "Give me back that watch."

"You're going to die here, pirate!" the lieutenant snarled, spinning on the spot to swing both maces in a circle around him, Nietzsche jumping back to the wall to avoid the blows.

Solita dashed forwards in a burst of _Soru_ , firing two shots into Jace's side as his blade sank into the wood where she'd stood only a second before. The swordsman grunted in pain, a trickle of blood flowing from his side.

"You can't hit me by flailing around like that," the marine leered. "I'm a captain, not one of the worthless thugs you're used to dealing with." Jace leaned a little more heavily on his blade, the tip still embedded in the floor. He was breathing heavily, his entire hulking body moving with every inhalation. He was tense, wincing slightly as he adjusted his stance. But his smile never faltered.

"Shut up and fight me," Jace sapt out, grinning madly over his shoulder. "If you've got the guts."

Solida growled, vanishing again. Jace's eyes flicked to his right just before the marine reappeared, his leg lashing out at a stack of crates, sending them crashing to the ground. Random tools and weapons fell across the floor as papers fluttered through the air.

 _Damn, I can't see what he's doing!_ the woman thought, dashing away from the brute of a man before he could attack again.

Rucker was also getting more and more frustrated. The kid wasn't even a threat; he was built like a twig, but he just _couldn't hit the bastard_.

"That's a marine technique," he spat, denting a metal drawer with a particularly vicious swing as Nietzsche vanished in a _Soru._ "How the hell did a pirate like you learn it?"

Nietzsche stayed silent, warily circling the man as best he could in the confines of the room. Rucker cocked his head to the side, taking in his opponent's full appearance and giving a soft noise of realisation. "A suit like that wasn't cheap, was it? I've got it, you're some kid from an old money family, playing at being a pirate for kicks, right? I'll bet Mommy and Daddy paid someone to teach you some neat tricks as well. Am I on the right track here, pirate boy?"

"That's my business, and I've never been a pirate," the blond hissed from behind the lieutenant, ducking under a double strike and planting his heel straight into the marine's chest.

" _Soru: Quickstep Kick_ ," he murmured, his foot seeming to vibrate in place, before Rucker felt a blinding pain erupt in his ribs and stumbled backwards from the force of the blow.

"What the- ?" Rucker gasped, feeling a cracked rib shift uncomfortably as he moved. His hand twitched, dropping one of his weapons as he clutched at his chest instinctively.

"Ten kicks per second: strong enough to let me move faster than human sight can track. Imagine what that kind of force can do to you." Nietzsche strode confidently towards his opponent. He stopped halfway, picking up the golden pocket watch and polishing it with his sleeve. "Of course, you don't really need to imagine it, do you? You've got a very good idea of what happens. Am I on the right track, here?"

"B-bastard," Rucker panted, focusing intently on his remaining mace. "I'll show you! _Mjolnir Crash_!" he roared, sparks flying from his airborne mace. Nietzsche gritted his teeth as an electric current ran through his body, his muscles threatening to lock up.

"This is… nothing- Gah!" he exclaimed as Rucker's punch caught him full in the face.

"You're paralysed, you moron," Rucker panted. "Just give up, already. A snotty rich kid like you shouldn't even be out on the seas, Rokushiki or not." The not-currently-being-punched marine grinned at his victory as he bent to take the watch out of his enemy's hand. "Don't worry, I'm sure if you're half as important as you think you are, your folks'll bail you out. Heck, they'll probably even replace your watch for y-"

Rucker was cut off as Nietzsche's free hand shot out, catching him in the throat with a half-hearted punch. Weak as it was, it was still more than enough to cut off his airway for a few moments. Rucker spluttered and coughed. The blond's eyes were narrowed and fierce as he rolled away, clutching the watch to his chest protectively.

"Isn't taking things that don't belong to you a crime?" Nietzsche hissed, putting it back into his own pocket. Or have the marines fallen so low that they're bringing in petty thieves like you? Don't bother answering. I'm ending this." As he finished speaking, he rushed ahead, a blur to Rucker's eyes rapidly closing the gap. The lieutenant had just begun his answering swing when he realised his mistake. Nietzsche kicked out at the air to his left as the mace came down, kicking the empty air with enough force to dash to the side and evade the strike. Rucker could see the blond, his momentum carrying him away, but his right leg was raised.

Time slowed to a crawl as Nietzsche whispered the name of his technique. " _Geppo: Pasodoble_." He kicked out roughly with his outstretched leg to propel him back towards Rucker. He slammed his forearm into the marine's face in a brutal strike, knocking him out instantly and sending him sprawling across the room.

"That was for insulting me. A hypocrite like you has no right to call me a criminal," he sneered, before wobbling in place, his legs still numb. A heavy impact shook the ship, sending him reeling. "Damn. I need to get out of here." He grimaced, clambering over a pile of confiscated materials to try and get back to the stairs.

Jace picked his sword up in one hand, the planks creaking underneath him as he adjusted his stance. Solida stood in front of the door, her guns pointed directly at the pirate's chest. "Surrender, Rask, and I won't have to kill you."

"I can't surrender," Jace grinned, holding the sword out behind him. "And you can't kill me anyway. Take this! _Meuterer Lanze_!" he shouted, throwing his sword like a high-speed javelin, tearing the wall apart when Solida dove out of the way.

"And now you've disarmed yourself…" Solida rolled her eyes. "How did a brainless brute like you survive as a marine?" she asked, before a cracking noise drew her attention to the collapsing ceiling,

She rolled to one side as the wooden planks collapsed, a pile of cannonballs falling around her and slamming heavily against the floor. As she leapt to her feet, she suddenly caught sight of her opponent, a plank of wood held across his shoulders as he picked up a cannonball.

"Heads up!" Jace laughed, tossing the iron sphere in front of him and swinging his new weapon like a baseball bat. It slammed into the cannonball with a crack, like a firework had gone off, the orb approaching Solida with terrifying speed.

' _Tekkai_ _!'_ she thought desperately, her muscles hardening like iron. It was little help, however, since the ball just had too much force behind it, carrying her along as it smashed through two wall before leaving her in an unconscious heap.

"Not bad," Jace smirked proudly, wiping his nose with the back of his wrist, looking at the broken plank in his hand. "Huh. These are really handy, actually," he mused, pulling his blade out from a pile of wreckage as Nietzsche clambered into view. "Oi, Nietzsche! You won too?"

"Of course. What do you take me for?" the blond grinned, looking at Jace's blood-streaked shirt with an eyebrow raised. "If we're going to get out of here, we'd best do it quickly. This ship is practically falling apart." Jace nodded.

"Gotcha. Let's go!" The two of them dashed up what was left of the staircase, stopping short as they saw a dark blur knocking marines left and right. As it skidded to a halt, they found themselves face to face with a young man, in his early twenties at the most, his purple hair spiking madly in all directions. He twitched, noticing the newcomers for the first time as he spun on the spot.

"Hey!" he waved, a manic grin on his face. "You're the ex-marine and the ninja guy, right? Kaiman told me you were the strongest people they found on Dusk Island."

"Rask Jace: pirate captain."

"Nietzsche: considerably irritated. And you are…?" The pirate shrugged as he resumed speaking, off-handedly punching the last marine into unconsciousness. "I'm the one they call 'Royal Hunter' Ryo. You wanna join my crew?"

"What?" Nietzsche asked, wondering why everyone insisted on asking him to join their crew today.

"Yeah, I'm putting together an armada! Once we've got a few more good crewmates, we're heading back to the Grand Line," Ryo beamed, baring his teeth. "And then we're going to conquer it! What do you say?"

"You're crazy," Nietzsche said. "The Grand Line, even just the first half of it, is a death trap. If you're just putting together an army of disposable soldiers, you'll wind up like Don Krieg, wiped out before you can get to the first island. Not a chance."

"No deal," Jace stated bluntly. "If I go with you now, I'll just be hanging onto you for the rest of my journey. I'm my own captain; I'm going to become the Pirate King, and the whole world is going to know who I am."

Ryo frowned, a darker aura settling over his previously jovial one. "Those are your final answers, then?" he asked, his voice neutral, but there was something deeper, a possible threat buried in the question.

"Yes." Jace nodded, gripping his weapon to ready himself for a fight, ignoring the darts of pain lancing through his torso.

Nietzsche hesitated, before moving slightly closer to Jace. "I have more reason to trust him than I do you, 'Royal Hunter'." He answered, tilting his head to indicate Jace, who grinned in response.

"Ha!" Ryo laughed, once again showing off his predatory grin. "You guys are even more interesting than I thought! Here, take this!" he grinned, tossing them a folded piece of card. "That's the code for our Den-Den Mushi. When you get to the Grand Line, give us a call."

"And you're just giving this to us, why?" Nietzsche asked, eyes narrowed. Ryo shrugged, jumping up to stand next to a hole in the hull of the ship.

"Call it idle curiosity. I haven't met many pirates with the balls to stand up to me like that in this sea. I want to see what you two are gonna do." He waited there for a moment, still smirking. "By the way, if you want to get a lifeboat, you'd better hurry. I'm pretty sure my crew's broken most of them by now. This might be your only chance." He laughed heartily as a boat, barely more than a raft with a sail attached, dropped down into the ocean in front of them.

"Crap!" The duo swore in unison. Wasting no more time, they burst out, rushing past him and jumping, landing in the boat with a splash of ocean spray. As explosions rang out from the ship, Jace grabbed the oars and rowed as hard as he could. Nietzsche clutched the sides of the boat, eyeing the sinking ship as it began to shrink in the distance. The ongoing battle gradually faded from view as an unnatural wind filled their sails.

OoOoO

Propelled by Jace's immense strength, it took only a short while for their former prison to fade into the distance. Nietzsche exhaled in relief. His muscles ached and his legs still tingled slightly. He opened up his case of navigational supplies and frowned as he stared into the distance through a spyglass.

"What's up? We got away scot free, this calls for a celebration!" Jace panted. Even his ungodly stamina was depleted from the escape.

"In case you hadn't noticed, we're drifting in the middle of the ocean with no food, no clean water, and no idea where on Earth we are," the navigator snapped tersely, finally spying a dot on the horizon and adjusting the sails in response.

"Ah, it'll be fine," the ex-marine boomed "I can't let a little setback like this stop me. I'm going to be the Pirate King, after all – I'd look pretty stupid if I panicked now." Jace leaned back and started rowing at a more sedate pace as they drifted into a slow current.

"Pirate King, eh? You know the whole world will be after you if you achieve anything even close to that. They'll call you a monster, like they did with Gold Roger."

"Doesn't matter to me whether they call me a monster or a hero," Jace muttered, his eyes staring into the distance. "As long as my name is heard around the globe. I'm going to live forever as a legend, and the whole world is going to know who I am," He finished proudly, holding out his hand. "I never did get an answer from you. Join my crew, and be my navigator!"

Nietzsche stared at the massive hand in front of him, before chuckling and shaking it. "Fufufu… Well, having a captain like you would certainly be an adventure. Very well, I'll sail with you, _Captain_ Jace. What's our destination?"

"Nearest land, quick as you can. We need some booze to mark the occasion!" Jace laughed, before abruptly spasming in a cough, something falling onto the floor of the boat in front of him.

Nietzsche blinked. "Is that-?"

"Oh, good, one of the bullets came back out!"

The navigator stared incredulously at Jace. "One of? How many times were you shot?"

"Only about four. Maybe six, I dunno," The captain waved his hand dismissively. "What? I'll be fine, just wrap some bandages 'round it and it's good."

"With all due respect, captain, that's idiotic. If this is going to be a trend, we better find a ship's doctor as soon as possible."

"And a cook, too! Can't pirate on an empty stomach!" Jace nodded, patting his stomach, a red stain appearing as he did so.

"It's probably best to prioritise."

"Good food is always my priority."

Nietzsche sighed, a resigned smile forcing its way onto his face. "To good food then."

"To adventure!" Jace agreed, staring up at the midday sun with a grin that was just as blinding. "LET'S GO!"

…

 **First chapter done!**

 **Be sure to leave a review to let me know what you think; if there's anything we need to check or explain. I'll answer any non-spoiler questions to the best of my ability.**

 **See you next time, guys!**


	2. Antemar Island! Besieged by Devils!

**Second chapter, and the beginnings of the crew as a whole.**

 **Stuff: None. Aw.**

 **...**

The wind blew over the open plains of Antemar Island. A solitary figure perked up, adjusting his sunglasses as he stared out over the ocean. "So, the winds are changing once again. I wonder what they'll send my way…" he mused idly. After a moment of inhaling the sea breeze, a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

"Listen to me, getting so sentimental. I guess you really did rub off on me, Pop." He chuckled to himself, smoothing the creases out of his clothes and looking down at the worn-out book beside him. He flexed his hands, coloured lights dancing between his fingers.

"Time to spread the good word."

OoOoO

"Oi, Nietzche, are we there yet?"

The blond's eye twitched. "As I told you five minutes ago, as well as five minutes before _that_ , we are fighting the current to get there. It's going to take a while."

Jace nodded thoughtfully, his back turned to the front of the ship. He glanced up at the filled sail before turning back to his navigator. "So are we there yet?"

Nietzche tensed, breathing deeply through his nose. "No. No we are not."

"Huh," Jace grunted. "So where are we going, anyway?"

"If I've got our position correct, then we're headed to a place called Antemar Island. It's supposed to be a pretty big fishing port," Nietzche reported. "I'm sure we'll be able to find some supplies there, and hopefully a proper medic to deal with your wounds."

"What're you talking about? I'm fine!" Jace argued, gesturing at the bloody cloth wrapped around his torso. They'd had to cannibalise parts of his captain's coat to stem the blood flow. "I've already got most of the bullets out!"

"…We need a doctor, captain."

"Alright, alright. Maybe we can find one on the island?"

"We can but hope." Nietzche sighed.

"…So," Jace beamed. "Are we there yet?"

OoOoO

Jace pouted as they pulled into the docks, rubbing the bump on the back of his skull. He glared at his crewmate as Nietzche hopped onto the pier with a rope in hand. "You didn't have to hit me…"

"I disagree. In any case, I'm sure a big enough town like this will have plenty of supplies." The suit-clad teenager murmured, almost to himself.

"Nietzche-" Jace began, before getting interrupted by the blond's continued monologue.

"I mean, we'll have to find something to barter with, but with my brains and your muscle, we'll find something."

"Yeah, but-" Jace was definitely frowning now, looking around in confusion.

Nietzche finished tying off their 'ship' with a satisfied grunt. "There we go. Come on, we'd best ask where we can find a doctor before you try and dig out the rest of the bullets."

"Nietzche!" the captain barked, jumping to his feet. "Where're the boats?"

"… What?"

Jace gestured to the completely empty port. "This' supposed to be a fishing port, but there's no-one here. Shouldn't there be _someone_ hanging around the docks?"

Nietzche blinked, following Jace's arms to see the harbour- completely abandoned. "That's… disconcerting," he admitted, squinting as he looked at the town beyond. "It looks like the village is quite busy, in any case."

"I wonder where all the boats are… could they be keeping them underwater?" Jace mused. "No, then they'd be submarines…"

"Come on. Hopefully, we'll be able to get some information in the town itself."

OoOoO

The duo strolled through the town, Nietzche frowning at the surprised and terrified looks they were getting. As he opened his mouth to ask, he glanced at his captain; seven feet tall, covered in blood, with a sword almost the size of a man strapped to his back. Of course.

"Excuse me," he began, approaching a young woman with as much charm as he could muster. "Could you kindly-"

"We don't want any trouble, just please leave us alone." She begged, rushing away before Nietzche could stop her.

"Wow. You are bad at this." Jace observed, blunt as ever.

"That wasn't my fault! There's obviously something going on here," Nietzche hissed back. "And I didn't see you do any better."

Jace held up a finger to silence his navigator, inhaling deeply. "HEY! I WANNA KNOW WHERE THE DOCTOR IS!" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the streets and freezing the crowds in their tracks. As he gazed expectantly around, a few shaky hands pointed to a tall, thin building visible even from several streets away.

Jace grinned. "Thanks! Come on, Nietzche!"

"…that proves nothing, I hope you know that." The blond groused, hopping onto the rooftops to follow Jace as the latter barrelled through the alleyways, civilians leaping away from the human equivalent of a freight train.

"Huh? What d'you mean?" the taller man asked, looking confused as his crewmate dropped back down to street level.

Nietzche shook his head and sighed, rapping on the door of the doctor's office. "Never mind. Just let me explain things. You have a bad habit of downplaying the severity of bullet wounds."

The door opened a fraction, revealing a middle-aged woman with grey streaks in her hair. "I don't have any more to give you."

"Ahem. Madam, I think you have us confused for someone else. We are travellers, and we find ourselves in need of medical attention. May we come in?"

"Well… alright, but be quick about it," She muttered, opening the door fully and ushering them inside. "The examination room on the left, please. I haven't cleared up the one on the right yet." She directed them, wringing her hands.

"Ahh, feels good to lie down on something other than a floor for once…" Jace sighed, relaxing as he threw himself on the padded table.

"Are those… bullet wounds?" the doctor breathed in shock as she unravelled the bandages.

"We found ourselves in the crossfire of a marine raid," Nietzche explained. "Just our bad luck that the island we landed on was a notorious pirate hideout. All things considered, we could have been much worse off."

"Right, well… I believe I can treat your injuries properly, but… I can't afford to give up so much of my supplies for nothing. I'm assuming you can pay for the treatment?"

Nietzche froze up. "Well…" he began, trying to stall.

"Of course we can!" Jace interrupted, looking offended at the insinuation. "What kind of people do you take us for?"

"My apologies, sir. I'll get started right away."

Nietzche exhaled in relief. His captain must have had some money stored away in his pockets prior to the arrest. His own wallet had been taken –and he was going to have to rectify that loss of available funds as soon as possible – and he'd resigned himself to having to steal and gamble his way back to a reasonable standard of living.

"Good to hear," Jace smiled. "Nietzche, pay the doctor."

What.

"Captain, what are you talking about? Don't you have any money?"

"No, I spent all my cash getting to Dusk Island! Where's your money?"

"With the damned marines, probably somewhere on the bottom of the ocean by now!" Nietzche snapped, before wincing as he realised that the doctor was still in the room.

"Get out! I can't afford to treat pirates for free, get out!" she exploded, somehow finidng the strength to push both men out of the room, forcing them out of the building.

"Oi! Aren't doctors supposed to treat people? It's literally what you do for a living!" Jace accused, as the woman's hair fell in front of her face.

"Exactly! I need to make a living! If you're not going to pay, then I suggest you see the freak who lives out by the cliffs!" the doctor accused, pointing angrily at the both of them.

"Well maybe I will!" Jace yelled back. "Come on, Nietzche!"

"Wha-Wait! I wasn't serious! He's a monster!"

"You've changed your tune very quickly," Nietzche observed. "What exactly do you mean by 'monster'?"

"It doesn't matter, just stay away from him! He's dangerous, just like-" The doctor took a shuddering breath, visibly restraining herself from saying anything else. "Please, just trust me."

"How're we supposed to avoid him if we don't even know what he looks like?" Jace asked, in a surprising burst of logic.

"Well, alright… he's fairly easy to recognise. He tries to disguise himself, dresses like a priest, or a pilgrim. But he can't hide the tips of his horns, or his evil power over light and illusions. He's a devil, trying to pretend he's a man!" She told them, sounding increasingly hysterical as she spoke, abruptly slamming the door as she finished.

"…Informative. Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Captain?" Nietzche smirked. _'He must be a Devil Fruit user; with this island being so out of the way from major pirating routes, they could go their whole lives without ever learning about the fruits-'_

"That guy sounds awesome!" Jace beamed. "I want to see what he can do! Let's go!" Without waiting for a response, the boisterous captain strode away, heading into town.

"Wait! Captain, let's at least find out where he is first!"

OoOoO

"So, there's nothing more you can tell me about him?" Nietzche asked the bartender. The older man shrugged apologetically, wiping down the bar.

"Honestly, we just try to avoid him when we can. You boys should just leave and head to the next island over. You'd probably find a decent doctor over on Dendoro island; it's only a few days' journey. A week at most."

"I'd rather we get some proper treatment before things get any worse. So you said he lives out towards the north?"

"Just head west around the coast and you'll see it. Don't bother going straight across the fields or you could miss him – he always takes that path whenever he comes into town," the bartender sighed. "But for the record, I warned you about this, alright?"

"Noted. Thank you…" Nietzche trailed off, waiting for the man to finally give his name.

"It's Davydd. Good luck, brat."

Inwardly grumbling about his new nickname, Nietzche nonetheless nodded respectfully as he left. _'So, no-one seems to know anything much about this guy, aside from where he lives. Apparently, he calls himself a 'healer' and talks about some kind of 'Kahana' or something. I really doubt they're right about it being a god of darkness, though…"_

He blinked as he approached the bench where Jace was sat, looking out at the ground with a contemplative expression. "Captain, we have our heading," Nietzche announced. "Apparently, the healer lives somewhere to the north, on top of one of the cliffs. Supposedly, he comes down that way every day to talk to people in the village."

"Huh. D'you mean that guy?" Jace replied, jerking his thumb at a man stood in the centre of the town square, loudly addressing the crowds even as they walked away.

The speaker was a lightly tanned man, dressed in a simple cloth tunic and pants, with a pair of sunglasses concealing his eyes and a neatly trimmed goatee and moustache. His head was surrounded by an impressive afro, which along with his wiry frame, made him look taller than he really was, standing at almost six feet. He waved a hand to punctuate his speech as the pirate duo listened in.

"…the great Kahuna teach us to seek enlightenment in our everyday lives. They invite us to find the beauty and the truth in all things!" he spoke in a smooth voice, managing to sound calm despite his volume. "And- ah?" he cut himself off as a child tripped in front of him, bursting into tears and clutching her leg.

"Overdramatic, isn't she?" Nietzche rolled his eyes. "Even if she wasn't obviously fine, that is some terrible acting."

"That poor girl! Why isn't anyone helping her?" Jace boomed, standing up in one sudden movement.

"Oh God…" the navigator facepalmed. He blinked as the preacher dashed through the crowd, most of the villagers stopping short as he passed.

"Excuse me, I'm a doctor!" he apologised, kneeling down next to the girl and holding out his hands. "Don't worry, I'm here to help," he told her, smiling politely. "Just tell me where it hurts, and I can-"

"I got it!" chirped another voice, as a young boy held up a wallet. The girl instantly stopped crying, jumping after her friend as the preacher could only stare in shock.

"Billy!" came a shrill cry. A middle-aged woman strode out, slapping the wallet out of her son's hand. "What have I told you? Don't act like such a brat, he's dangerous! Just come on, and stay away from him!" she screeched, dragging both children away by their collars.

"It's nothing to worry about, ma'am," the preacher assured her, opening the leather to show the empty interior. "I don't have anything for them to steal, anyway."

"You stay away from us! You're dangerous, just like any other demon!" she cried, hiding the children behind her. "Why don't you just leave us alone?" she demanded, before rushing off into the crowd.

"Wow." Came the eloquent commentary from Jace as he watched, his face blank.

"It's unfortunate, but really none of our business, Captain. Far better that we not get involved." Nietzche interjected, frowning. That kind of hostility was unusual, even against Devil Fruit users. There was obviously more to the situation than they'd been told-

"Wait up!" Jace called as the preacher made to leave, looking deflated. The captain ducked around his first mate with surprising agility and coming to a halt in front of the surprised-looking healer. "We've been looking for you!" he beamed, back to his usual self in an instant.

"Oh? My apologies, sir, I'm not used to people seeking me out. How can I…. help… you…" the afro-haired man trailed off, taking in Jace's blood-spattered appearance. "I see. I don't have many supplies with me, so would you please follow me to my home? I'll be able to treat your wounds there."

"Sure thing! Oi, Nietzche, come on! Weren't you the one worried about us not finding the doctor?" the captain smirked, patting the teen on the back and sending him stumbling to the ground.

"There will be a reckoning, Captain. I swear it."

OoOoO

The trio climbed the rough stone steps in silence, the preacher leading the way, Jace following along close behind, with Nietzche at the back. The blond tightened the knot on his bandana, mentally taking in as much information about their new companion as he could.

' _His clothing is basic but sturdy, nothing special, but it's old – definitely patched up a few times. No weapons, but with a Devil Fruit, that doesn't necessarily mean he's unarmed. He's not aggressive, though, not even in his body language. I doubt he's that good at acting, so he's genuinely willing to help us…"_

Jace cleared his throat loudly, the newcomer glancing over his shoulder as the brute of a man spoke. "I just thought of something. We never properly introduced ourselves. I'm Captain Rask Jace, and this is my navigator, Nietzche."

"Honoured to meet you. My name is Dee-Bop. A pleasure." The man nodded, smiling politely at them as they arrived at the top of the stairs.

"Dee-Bop? Really?" Nietzche deadpanned. "If you're going to lie, at least give a proper name."

"Don't be rude!" Jace scolded. "And can you really afford to talk about stupid names?"

"Nietzche is a perfectly fine name!" the navigator shot back. Jace simply glared impassively down at him. "… Fine. My apologies… Dee-Bop."

"It's quite alright," the preacher smiled back, before pointing at a stone cube about a hundred metres away. "In any case, we've reached our destination. Welcome to the Temple of the Great Kahuna." He entered the thatch-rooved building, about the size of a cottage, gesturing for them to follow him inside.

The two pirates walked into a bare-looking hall, with a simple altar sat at the far end. Dee-Bop picked up a small leather case from the altar as Jace sat down on a wooden bench. "I have everything we need in here, Captain Rask. If I may look at the wounds themselves?"

As the medic unravelled the bandages around Jace's torso, he frowned deeply, looking over the red wounds and past them to the faded scars. "What have you been doing to yourself?" he murmured, almost to himself.

"Hey, I'm a pirate, it's practically in the job description." Jace shrugged, ignoring Nietzche's exasperated look.

"A pirate?" The medic asked, swiftly and deftly grabbing a bottle of antiseptic, dabbing it onto the fresher injuries.

"Yep! I'm going to become Pirate King, and have my name remembered forever!" Jace beamed. "To know that the whole world knows my name… that's my dream." Dee-Bop blinked, before returning to Jace's wounds with a half-smile.

"A fitting ideal for a captain, no?" Nietzche commented. "You've got this well in hand, Rask. I'll head back to town and see if I can get us some supplies. From what I can tell, our next stop is more than a week away, and that would be in a _proper_ ship."

"Alright, then. Good luck!" Jace agreed brightly, before pausing. "Be careful, Nietzche. I get the feeling something bad's gonna happen."

"Of course, Captain. Doesn't it always?" Nietzche snarked, vanishing through the open door in a blur of _Soru_.

OoOoO

The navigator slowed to a more normal pace as he re-entered the sole civilisation of Antemar Island. If he was going to learn the truth about what was happening on the island, it would be far better not to draw too much attention to himself.

His nose wrinkled as he turned towards the port. _'Is that… smoke?'_ he wondered, frowning as he saw a dark cloud rising from the docks. His eyes widened in realisation as he noted exactly _where_ the smoke was coming from.

"Damn!" he hissed to himself, striding back towards the tavern in the centre of the town. One way or another, he was going to get a straight answer. Especially now that someone had had the sheer stupidity to burn his boat.

OoOoO

"I see…" Dee-Bop murmured, adjusting his glasses. "The bullet's still embedded in the wound. That'll need to be the first thing I deal with, then."

"Alright, if you say so." Jace shrugged, perking up as coloured lights flickered in the medic's right hand.

" _Rainbow-Rainbow Pincer_!" Dee-Bop declared, the lights reshaping themselves to form a thin set of tweezers, reaching in to pluck out the battered bullet from the wound.

"Holy crap, how'd you do that?" the pirate burst out, a look of awe on his face.

Dee-Bop smiled widely. "Nothing is impossible for a man of faith," He stated seriously, with a rainbow-patterned circle hovering over his palm. "…But to tell the truth, I ate a Devil Fruit. The Rainbow-Rainbow Fruit, to be precise. I've become a Rainbow Man."

"That's awesome!" Jace grinned widely. "I bet you can seriously kick ass with that!"

"I'm sorry to let you down," the medic frowned. "But I'm a pacifist. I've sworn a healer's oath, to do no harm."

"…Huh. What happens if you get into trouble?" Jace asked, suddenly looking pensive.

"I have ways to defend myself without resorting to violence," Dee-Bop replied calmly, removing the final bullet and snapping his fingers. Rainbow-patterned ribbons popped into existence, pulling a roll of bandages into his hand and expertly covering the pirate's wounds. "That's the path I've chosen to follow."

"No violence, huh? I wouldn't know much about that – I'm _really_ good at violence, you know?" Jace laughed, examining the bandages around his midsection. "You do really good work, Dee-Bop!"

"My pleasure, Captain Rask," Dee-Bop smiled back, though his pleased expression wavered slightly under Jace's manic grin. "…Is there something else you need?"

"Yeah," Jace boomed heartily. "Join my crew!"

OoOoO

Nietzche stormed into the tavern, the few patrons within jumping at his sudden entrance. Glancing around the room, he glared at Davydd, who to his credit didn't flinch. "Enough stalling. My captain's not bleeding out anymore, so I'm not leaving without some answers."

The bartender sighed. "I saw the smoke. It's a pity you couldn't get away before they got to your boat. I'll tell y-"

"He's here!" a small boy interrupted, rushing into the bar. He panted breathlessly, pointing out towards the street. "Balido's here early!"

Davydd paled, shoving Nietzche onto a stool and hissing to him in what barely qualified as a whisper. "Just don't say anything or make any eye contact until they leave. I'll answer your questions as best I can once Balido leaves. _Please_." The pleading tone in his voice was enough to silence any immediate responses, so the pirate begrudgingly acquiesced.

Turning to face the bar, Nietzche blinked in surprise at the sight of several barrels. Deciphering the nigh-unreadable label, his lips quirked into a smirk. At least there was one pleasant surprise to be found here.

"I hope you've got our supplies ready, Davey!" came a bleating cry, as a… _colourful_ individual swanned into the tavern, followed by a handful of virtually indistinguishable thugs.

The newcomer was wearing a bright yellow vest, the woollen curls making him look much bulkier than he actually was. Beneath his visor-like glasses, a cocky grin was all that was visible of his face. But none of it compared to his hair. Bouncy silver curls surrounded his head, with two spikes spiralling out from either side of his head, resembling a set of ram's horns above his ears.

"We decided to stop by a little early today, since we already had to deal with an unauthorised docking. You wouldn't have seen them, Davey? The boys said there were two on the boat, and I'm quoting here; a big stupid looking guy, and a small, fancy looking guy." The man chuckled, obviously the mysterious Balido.

Davydd shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you. If they landed here, they must have gone to explore the island. No one in town ever heads down to the docks, you know that." He muttered in reply, flinching as a bullet slammed into the wall behind him, mere inches from his head.

"Don't try lying to me, Davey. You're no good at it anyway," Balido sneered, his pistol still pointed at the unfortunate bartender's head. "So I'm going to give you another chance. Where'd they go?"

"How rude," Nietzche interjected, taking an experimental sip of the wine in his glass. "Surely you have better options than sheer barbarity?" he mused, inwardly analysing the wine and rendering his final verdict: _'Passable.'_

"And who are you to judge? I'm 'Quick-Draw' Balido, second mate of the Butcher Pirates. Why mess with what works?" the gunman shrugged nonchalantly. "You must be one of the tourists, then. Sorry about your boat, but then you never asked permission to dock. And one other thing."

Nietzche blinked as the glass in his hand shattered, the ruby liquid spilling across the floor. He sent a glare at Balido, who just grinned at him.

"That wine is ours. Part of the tribute from the town, to keep our Captain satisfied, you see," The gunman shrugged. "I can't have you stealing it, can I? Now, this has been fun and all, but we must get down to business." He lazily levelled his gun at the blond, who promptly vanished from sight. A sound of cracking wood drew his attention and his guns to the left, where one of his thugs was lying prone.

"I don't care who you think you are," Nietzche grunted, from his position atop the brute's face. "But that was the first decent drink I've had in _weeks_ , and you made me waste it." Balido fired wildly with a second pistol, the projectile embedding itself in the floor as the suit-wearing blond blurred away again, this time jamming an elbow into his target's throat and using him as a springboard to leap away.

"You bastard, stop running!" Balido swore as he emptied both guns at the target, realising too late that he'd shot one of his own troops in the arm. "You damned coward, fight me like a man!" he snapped, tucking one pistol into its holster as he grabbed ammo to reload.

"If you insist," came a cold voice from behind him. " _Soru: Quickstep Barrage._ " Nietzche hissed, kicking out at the backs of Balido's legs and driving him to the floor. He grabbed the man's hair before he could fall, holding him for a second before driving him face-first into the floor.

"B-Balido? Come on, get up." One of the two remaining thugs babbled, unable to process the sight of his commander being almost effortlessly defeated by a-a _child_!

"He's not getting up. You should run," the blond commanded, a terrifying glare on his face. He smirked as the duo followed his advice and barrelled through the door. "Oh, for God's sake!" he winced, stumbling as he examined a red patch on the side of his leg. "And I don't even have someone to stitch this up properly. Why can't I have nice things…?" he grumbled, voice trailing off into silence as he tied a handkerchief around the cut as best he could.

"He-he actually took down Balido…" one of the bar patrons murmured.

"Unbelievable – couldn't even see him move!"

"Ahem," Davydd cleared his throat, flinching under Nietzche's half-glare. "While we appreciate you defeating Balido, you should probably leave before his thugs come back with reinforcements."

"I believe it's high time you told me the truth. I haven't heard of these 'Butcher Pirates' before, but I'm guessing they've been holding this island hostage?" Nietzche deadpanned, grabbing a fresh glass and refilling it with wine.

"I- alright then. We owe you that much. The Butcher Pirates arrived about a month ago, and started off by taking hostages and burning our ships. We tried to get them to leave, gave them all the valuables we had, but it wasn't enough for them. Their captain, Hambuta 'The Butcher', made us a deal; we give them supplies every week, and they don't hurt any of the villagers," Davydd murmured. "But if we don't give them enough, or if we try and call the marines, then Hambuta and his lieutenants attack the village. Not just the men and women, but the children too. As much as we _hate_ them, there's nothing we can do, our lives are just playthings for them."

Nietzche stared blankly as the bartender continued speaking, emotion choking his voice. The blonde's expression betrayed nothing of his thoughts as he calmly took another drink from his glass.

"They've taken hostages and locked them up in their ship! If someone can't give them food or medical supplies, they'll take a prisoner until they get some form of payment – everything we own has been taken as fucking _collateral_! Please. You managed to beat Balido. Maybe you and your captain can help us beat Hambuta."

"Why haven't you tried something already? This is a decent-sized village, you'd outnumber him massively unless he's got a whole fleet," Nietzche pointed out. "And if that were the case, he'd never have managed to stay hidden this long."

"We might have been able to beat Balido, maybe even Vache, their First Mate, but not Hambuta. He's a demon, like the man who lives out by the cliff. Except he doesn't bother hiding it, he'll show his full demon form whenever he thinks he's being disrespected," Davydd concluded, looking utterly defeated. He shook his head, resigned. "I know I'm asking a lot, but if you could get to his ship, he took the mayor's Den Den Mushi. With that, we'd be able to contact the Marines."

Nietzche digested the new information with a nod, placing his empty glass down onto the bar. He glanced at his watch before shrugging. "It's not as though we have any other options when our boat's been destroyed. But I would like to note that I'll be expecting compensation when I return."

"What?" the middle-aged man asked, eyes wide.

"Of course, I'm not unreasonable. I do accept payment in the form of food and wine." Nietzche smirked, hands outstretched in an exaggerated shrug. "Whereabouts are these Butchers hiding?"

"I- Thank you so much. They're on the opposite side of the island. There's one cave big enough to conceal their ship from the outside. You shouldn't go straight there, they'll be watching the meadows and it will be much safer to take the coastline path." Davydd smiled hopefully, grasping the young man's hand tightly in both of his.

"Noted. I will return momentarily, so if you wouldn't mind dealing with these poor fools," Nietzche announced, gesturing to the three unconscious pirates on the tavern floor. "Now. _Soru._ "

OoOoO

"I'm afraid I must turn down your kind offer, Captain Rask," Dee-Bop replied, eyebrows raised as he adjusted his glasses. "My work here is not yet done."

"Aw… What kind of work? 'Cause I could probably help you get it finished." The pirate pouted, nonetheless looking interested.

"There is a sickness in this island. A virus that is slowly crippling the town and its people. If I cannot save them, then it's my duty to help them through it," the medic frowned. "That said, I cannot deal with the source of the problem, despite my powers."

"Damn. Wait, is this like a real sickness, or was that a metaphor?" Jace asked, mirroring the shorter man's expression. As Dee-Bop opened his mouth to reply, a crash echoed through the building as the doors cracked under a heavy blow.

"Who-?" Before Dee-Bop could do anything more than speak, the wood splintered and flew inwards. The doctor spread both hands out as a rainbow-patterned circle burst into existence. " _Rainbow-Rainbow Shield!_ "

The doors crashed into the shield, falling apart into wooden shards as a pair of thuggish-looking pirates burst into the temple, one brandishing a massive club – obviously their entry method. "Found you!" one of them jeered.

"Captain wants to see the 'Rainbow Demon', so come along quietly," the other agreed, holding a dirty glass bottle with one hand, the other hand clutched around a lighter. "Or we'll have to break the rest of your stuff."

"My friends, please. Violence is not the way. I will come with you as soon as I finish treating my patient here." Dee-Bop replied calmly, only for the second thug to burst out laughing.

"Oh my God, you're talking like some wannabe priest or some shit like that! Is this supposed to be a church? Hah!" he cackled, lighting the cloth within his bottles. "Let's see if you can pull off a miracle!" he cried, tossing the Molotov cocktails towards the far wall.

" _Rainbow-Rainbow Cage!_ " Dee-Bop cried, coloured lights flying from his palms and wrapping around the bombs as opaque spheres. Two muffled booms rang out as the orbs contained the explosions. "I can't let you harm this temple."

"And what are you going to do about it, huh?" the club wielder smirked, smashing one of the benches into kindling. "'Violence is not the way', huh? Too bad."

Dee-Bop winced as shards of wood flew around the room. _'This is bad… I could probably hold them off, but could I keep them away from Rask as well?'_ he thought, gritting his teeth, before hearing a dull thud beside him.

"You think you can handle the bombs?" Jace grunted, a dangerous-looking smile on his face as he strode forwards confidently. Dee-Bop blinked for a moment, before nodding.

"I believe I can, yes. But…" _'I can't attack them.'_ he concluded to himself.

"I've got to say, I never got the whole 'pacifist' thing, and it's not just 'cause I'm a fighter. Y'know, sometimes," Jace continued, picking up his sword and grinning wider as his opponents faltered. "Sometimes, you find yourself in a place where you can't talk things over, where a fight is the only option you got left. You understand that, right?"

"I can't. I made a promise, long ago, to stay true to my healer's oath. Even if it means I lose a battle, I'm not going to let them take my convictions away from me." The devil fruit user retorted, a little more heatedly than he'd intended.

Jace gave him an appraising look, before throwing his head back in a booming chuckle. "Bwahaha! Now _that,_ I can work with! If you can't attack 'em, leave that to me! You're handing defense, Dee-Bop!" he declared, before barrelling forwards into the club-user's chest.

"Hertz!" the Molotov thrower exclaimed, tossing two of his explosives towards Jace. Flashes of coloured light lashed out, diverting the bombs outside, shattering the windows. "What the hell?"

"I will not harm you," Dee-Bop announced placidly. "That does not mean I will allow you to harm my patient. _Rainbow-Rainbow Lasso_!" he called, a long streamer of rainbows flying towards his opponent, forming a loop around his torso.

"Huh?" the pirate managed, before a second lasso was wrapped around him from above, Dee-bop's deft gestures hooking the other end around a support beam and pulling the captive into the air, arms pinned at his sides.

"Damnit, Bernie," Hertz grunted, hefting Jace away from him with difficulty. " _Banhammer!_ " he snarled out, bringing his weapon down in a heavy swing, capable of crushing almost anything in its path.

Jace snapped his free hand out, catching the club with a muffled grunt of exertion as his arm jerked from the impact. "Call that a swing?" he bellowed, jamming the hilt of his sword into Hertz' solar plexus, knocking the pirate to his knees. "This is a real swing! _Vorrecht Smash_!" he crowed, bringing the flat of his blade down on Hertz' skull with a resounding clang.

The Butcher Pirate was dead still for a moment, before Jace tapped a finger against his shoulder. The miniscule pressure sent him to the ground, clearly unconscious.

Jace wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Damn straight." He muttered in satisfaction, before a sound like tearing paper drew his attention to the other fight going on.

With a roar of exertion, Bernie snapped the bands around him and lunged at Dee-Bop, a jagged knife in his hand.

And promptly met a flying bench that slammed him into the far wall, where he bonelessly flopped to the ground.

"Got him!" Jace beamed. His smile fell as Dee-Bop immediately rushed to aid the unconscious men. "What're you doing?"

"On my honour as a doctor, I cannot deny treatment to anyone, no matter who they are," The healer noted seriously, forcing both of the enemies into recovery positions and examining their injuries with practiced ease. "It doesn't seem too serious, they'll wake up in a few hours." He sighed, relieved.

Jace nodded. "Alright then-"

 **BOOM!**

The sudden explosion cut him off, as the entire island seemed to shake from the impact.

"What the hell was that?" Jace burst out. Dee-Bop removed his sunglasses, staring solemnly out of the open doorframe.

"That was the meadow. It means Hambuta's gone after someone else."

The captain grunted, strapping his weapon to his back once more. "Hambone's the guy in charge of these idiots, huh?"

"He's the sickness plaguing Antemar Island," the shorter man sighed. "Between his Devil Fruit and his crew, he's too powerful for any of us to fight. Not to mention how we're too far out for the marines to get involved..."

"So which way're we headed?" Jace asked, before looking out at a plume of smoke in the distance. "Never mind, I got it. You ready?"

"Ready?" came the surprised echo, the duo making their way outside. "What for?"

Jace's grin was positively predatory as he strode ahead. "We're gonna kick Hamburger's ass."

OoOoO

Nietzche darted across the terrain, peering at the distant coastline. A small blob came into view, the blond quickly identifying it as a decently-sized ship, probably a small carrack, or possibly a caravel. "Found you." He murmured to himself, turning towards his captain's location, before stopping short at the sight before him.

A meadow, stretching out ahead for what seemed like miles, the flowers forming waves of white, gold, pink and red as they waved in the breeze. The pirate stood stock-still, a surge of nostalgia welling up before he could stop it..

 _A laugh, like music, echoing across the field. "Come on, hurry!" the girl laughed, pulling the boy up after her. "This is my favourite place on the island, you can see all the different colours from up here." She explained, gesturing out at the neat rows of flowers planted in all directions._

" _Whoa," came the awed reply. "This is amazing. I don't think I've ever been to a place like this before…"_

" _And to think, there's a whole world full of sights like this. But Father says I'll have to stay here and learn to manage his estates. I wish I could go out and see things, not be stuck here for the rest of my life…" the girl said wistfully, her companion sitting in awkward silence at her words._

"… _Hey, Maria?" he eventually piped up, waiting until she looked at him to continue. "When we're older, and we get married, I'm going to get a ship and bring you all over the world!" he declared, determination etched on his eight-year-old face._

"… _You promise?" the young girl asked, biting her lower lip._

" _A gentleman like me always keeps his promises!" he declared dramatically, before both of them collapsed in fits of giggles._

The navigator shook his head to clear it. He needed to keep his wits about him if-

 _Ka-click._

Oh, damn it all to hell. That was a landmine. It hadn't gone off yet, but it surely had another fuse to set it off after a few seconds anyway.

Now he regretted not practicing _Tekkai_ more often… but he still had one thing left to try.

" _Geppou_!" he hissed out, springing upwards and kicking repeatedly at the air below him to gain altitude. The whole world vibrated below him as jets of flame erupted all across the meadow. "Almost-Gah!" he bit out as the flames caught the bottoms of his legs.

The split-second of lost focus cost him dearly, as he lost control of his technique, tumbling head-over-heels back to earth, and landing roughly on his back, only dimly aware of the world around him.

He managed to push himself up onto all fours as a huge shape stepped into view, ears still ringing from the blast. "Jace? Good thing you're here-" he cut himself off as he took a proper look at the man in front of him. Long, greasy hair dangling down from a squashed, ugly face, a barrel-shaped torso on top of comparatively tiny legs, an upturned nose and a sneer on his face.

The man who could only be Hambuta pointed his giant cleaver at Nietzche. The words were still inaudible, but what was said was obvious.

"Now who do we have here?"

…

 **Done! Any questions, comments, criticisms you guys have, leave 'em in a review.**


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